Another reason I’m grateful

I’m not always proud of being an American. We have mega-problems, mega-corruption, mega-distracted leadership. However – there is much for which to be grateful. One is the fact that our legal system is based on a code of ethics derived from Judeo-Christian law.

Did you see the following?

U.S. Astonished by Saudi Rape Sentence

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department expressed astonishment Tuesday about a Saudi court’s sentence of six months in jail and 200 lashes for a woman who was gang raped.

Department spokesman Sean McCormack stopped short of stronger language against its close ally in the Middle East. On Monday, Canada said it would lodge a complaint and called the sentence barbaric.

”I think when you look at the crime and the fact that now the victim is punished, I think that causes a fair degree of surprise and astonishment,” McCormack said. ”But it is within the power of the Saudi government to take a look at the verdict and change it.”

The sentencing came at a sensitive time in U.S.-Saudi relations.

Read here for more

Thanksgiving

I’m slowly – oh, so slowly – learning the value of gratitude.

It is one thing to preach about it. It is another to live it.

The truth is – I’m a complainer, a critic, a whiner. I tend to see the negative side of things. Being grateful does not come naturally to me – I have to work on it.

Here goes today’s attempt – the day before Thanksgiving.

I’ve had 34 years of love, adventure and partnership with the sweetest woman on earth. Thank you, Lord, for Ruthe.

Today, I’m in Tulsa, with my Dad (84 years old) and my Mom (82). They are both reasonably healthy in body and mind. They love their church and their pastor. Dad is halfway through his second reading of the Bible this year – in the King James! (He told me last night – “boy, that version is tough!”). Mom leaves attractive gospel tracts wherever she goes. Thank you, Lord, for my parents.

Ruthe and I had breakfast with 5 nieces and a nephew this morning, and lunch with my sister and brother-in-law. Tomorrow, we’ll join my brother and his family for lunch. Thanks for my siblings and extended family.

We saw Sarah and Clayton and Sam and Abe and Eloise yesterday.

We talked to Charlie and Joey and Corrie today. Thank you – more than I can say – for our children and grandchildren.

 

Today – I talked with Jim Siegfried and Frank Sindelar and Tim Walker and Mike Shea and K G Coker – and in recent days – with Jim Spencer and Jeff Fikes and Ken Easley and David Ball and Rick Osborne and Harry Layden and Jerry Martin and others – thank you, Lord, for dear and faithful friends to walk through life with.

God has forgiven me hundreds of times. Thank you for the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus. You might have put me on the shelf years ago – and for your own purposes and glory, you continue to use me. Oh Lord, thank you!

Excitement about what I believe God wants to do next year at Hope Church fills my mind. Thank you, Lord, for the precious ministry of the Holy Spirit and for your precious church.

For energy and vision and breakfast and the color of changing leaves and music of all kinds and motorcycles and football and books and fireplaces and interstate highways and mattresses and Ipods and long walks with my wife and “there’s-never-a-dull-moment-with-our-family” and pets and upcoming basketball season (this is for Ruthe) – Lord, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!